The Phillies will be looking to upgrade their roster this offseason and we already looked at some pitchers they could target in free agency, both in the rotation and in the bullpen.
When it comes to position players it gets a little less straightforward. The Phils technically have a player in place at every spot on the field as they are poised to return the same lineup again in 2025. However, that doesn't mean they will fully run it back.
Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski left the door open during his season-ending press conference, for the team to make a player-for-player trade. There is virtually no scenario where Bryce Harper or Trea Turner gets traded — which leaves third baseman Alec Bohm and second baseman Bryson Stott as the only two infielders who could realistically be moved.
Each of those infielders, part of the Phillies "daycare," are homegrown guys who have become fan favorites — as well as sources of frustration. Bohm has been a solid hitter during his career but has never developed a real power stroke and struggles defensively. Stott is an excellent defender and led the Phillies in stolen bases, but his bat and plate vision leave a lot to be desired.
If there does end up being an opening at either of these two positions, the free agent pickings are quite slim.
It's still worth being up to date and knowledgable about who is out there in free agency, because anything can happen. Here's a look at 15 of the more intriguing infielders who would make sense for the Phillies should they move on from Bohm or Stott this winter:
The star: (1) Alex Bregman
Still just 30 years old, Bregman has long been an anchor for the Astros as they've contended for World Series titles for nearly a decade. He has an impressive 99 postseason appearances under his belt, is a two-time All-Star, and a very respectable career .272/.366/.483 slash line. A leader in the clubhouse and a hustle guy who gets on base, he'd fit in well with the Phillies locker room full of stars but he'd be a costly addition. It's unlikely he'll get anything short of $150 million over five or six years on the open market.
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Everyday starters: (4) Gleyber Torres, Willy Adames, Eugenio Suárez, Donovan Solano
These are the only other four infielders who are (or could be) available in free agency who would represent true upgrades over the players the Phillies already have. Torres is starting for the AL champion Yankees and is just 27. He has a ton of pop at second base, with four 20-homer seasons and five 20-double seasons. Adames, 29, also brings power from the hot corner — he had 38 homers and 112 RBI in Milwaukee last season. Suárez is a shortstop by trade who is a true outcome guy, he led the NL in strikeouts three times but also has 276 homers over 11 seasons. And finally Solano is the opposite of the first three, a singles hitter with a .279 career batting average over 11 big league campaigns.
Lottery tickets: (3) Yoán Moncada, Brandon Lowe, Jose Iglesias
It would be a weird situation to see the Phillies signing one of these three players, but each fits the mold of a one-year prove it veteran who could be useful if the Phillies were in a pinch at second or third this spring. Moncada has been inconsistent when healthy, which hasn't been much lately (12 games played last year). Lowe is also an oft-injured hitter who has not been consistent during his time with the usually contending Rays. And Iglesias — now known for his "omg" song with the Mets — had a breakout campaign in New York and is a career .283 hitter.
Utility-bench pieces (7): Brandon Drury, Kyle Farmer, Miguel Rojas, Adam Frazier, Kiké Hernández, Kevin Newman, Garrett Hampson
The Phillies took a swing, and missed, with Whit Merrifield last season — hoping they could utilize the veteran utility player with a lot of experience as an everyday player all over the field in 2024. It's possible they do make that kind of play again, and there are plenty of infielders who can play solid defense at multiple positions available in free agency. None of the above players would be upgrades over Bohm or Stott as every day players.
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